The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-08-12
Ladies' Department,
He Takes A Drink.

OF natures both coarse ana Ane.
The mon who are of noble life,
Oft cause tho world TO stop and think,
And say, ne Is ar honorable man.
Bnt che sometimes takes drink. -
There's man little poorer yet,
who is never seen tight on the street;
He is always manly. generous too.
And kind and polite when you meet.
But his wife at home has heavy heart
More often than you would think.
The reason is just the same as before,
This man sometimes takes drink
Now zip the scales a little down,
For We aud lowlier class
OF men who value not manliness,
Who are weak rs blade OF grass.
They pause more OFT at the tavern door,
While their homes are poverty 3 brink,
These men know not when they should stop.
Tor they more than take a drink"
We now arrive at the iowiiest man
Who raises the glass to his lips,
He Guafs away till his resasns die
And he's crazed TO his finger tips.
The he rolls the roads ana cutters Ger,
And the reason is this, think,
He does not only take ono" as YOU say.
But he drinks ana orinEE anu urlnEs
On men, with your manly, noble hearts,
VINO love with Il viii and might
The beings entrusted to your good care.
Why cast you shadow OF night?
Your voyage ofHfe looks full and fair
AS many another's, think,
And YOU so willingly blot page
By simply taking drink"
You think it only silly whim,
For your wife to be cheerless and sad,
When your breath ia tainted with wniskey,
And you feel so happy and glad.
You tell how very safe you arc,
And how sorry you are to think
She thought yoN ever would take any more.
Than zone little common drink"
And though your talk sounds well enough
Don't think your wits fool
She sees SIS much as you perhaps.
OF the drunkards common school,
There never yet was drunken man.
Who could stagger and humble and sink.
But commenced the same az You today.
By "oniy taking drink
would argue with you on the mountain top.
Or tho lowest street in the land,
II you would but como and side with me,
Extending your stTOnS rlgnI nanu-
And say "An you have said ia true,
In my home is many link;
For their dear sskes, and the good Of life.
never will take drink
Lower Oxford, Aug. ., 1886. L. E.B.
-<+O-4-
How Mr.. Perkins Was Convinced.
A year LATER Mrs. Perk;ns sat on
the back porch, pencil in hand,
wrinkling up her forehead over lit
tie book and some pieces OF paper
which we're covered with figures.
But for all the kinks that were be-
tween her eyes, there was a satisfied
look about her face which showed
that she was pleased with the figures.
''There!" she said to herself, after
going over the figures for the third
time, l know that's all right; there
isn't mistake anywhere. I wonder
what Dan'l will say when he sees how
much we've paid out for eggs and
chickens since we sold the hens. l
don't suppose that he'll believe my
figures. or his own eyes. hardly, but
l reckon Mis- Peters book will con-
vince him that there is some profit
in keeping hens; still l don't know,
Danl is very set, and it's very hard
to make him belieYe any thing he
don't want to-"
Just then Mr.. Perkins came up the
path from the garden, up the steps
and onto the porch, dropped down
on a chair, and commenced tanning
himself With his hat Just as he did
the year before. But this time he
didn't say 'confound those hens,'
for there was not a hen en- the place
except the one that was in the oven
roasting for dinner. What he did say
was: II never had tomato plants to
do better than The ones ] set out last
week. There's some satisfaction in
havin' garden. when I can have it
without havin' forty old hens in it
half the time, scratchin' up things
faster than I can set 'em out. HUI
10! what have you been fgurin' out,
Betsy? II just been reckonin' up
the chicken and egg account" an
swered Mrs. Perkins. Well how
much is it? "Thirty-niue dollars
and seventy cents answered Mrs. Per-
kins."
"Thirty-ni iddlesticksl l don't
believe it!' exclaimed Mr., Perkins,
with more force than polite
ness. Like ly story that we've paid
out that much in a year for
chickens and eggs. You've made
mistake somewhere. Let me see
that book" II shouldn't be surprised
if l have made a mistake in addin',"
said Mrs. Perkins as she handed over
the book, "but Pve got the number
of eggs and chickens, and the price
down all right, for l kept the book
and pencil right in the kitchen cup
board and every time we bought any
eggs or chickens / set it right down.
l was very particular about it, for
you was so set that hens didn't pay
for their keepin' that l wanted to
show you just how much it cost a
.